Rowing team dominates OUA championshipMen's, women's, and novice squads each capture team gold

If ever there was a defining moment for Western rowing, last weekend was it.

In an unforgettable Ontario University Athletics championship performance in Welland on Saturday, both the men's and women's varsity rowing teams captured the overall gold team banners. The novice team followed suit with OUA gold as well, putting the exclamation point on what may be Western's finest combined rowing effort to date.

On the men's side, victory came down to conquering a powerful rival and getting production from unlikely sources.

"It really was a dogfight between Queen's and us, and we knew it would be, based on the results of the other OUA regattas this year," Western head coach Volker Nolte said. "When the points accumulated throughout the day, it was really back and forth."

"I think both our schools knew going in that one of us was going to take the banner," Western team captain Peter McLelland added.

Western and Queen's battled through heat after heat with both teams looking strong, but the major momentum shift came late in the day during the men's lightweight four event - one Queen's was heavily favoured to win.

"We desperately needed either to be just behind Queen's or to beat Queen's, and this is where the lightweight men's four finally came through," Nolte said. "They were struggling the whole year to put the performance of training into a race. They were in a deficit, they were behind boat lengths, but they pushed right through Queen's. So the number one boat for Queen's, through the special effort of our athletes, was really beaten in the true sense of the word."

With the stunning upset in the lightweight four, Western needed only to beat Queen's in the heavyweight eight, which was one of the Mustangs' strongest events heading into the regatta. They accomplished their final goal, slipping past Queen's in the last event and claiming OUA supremacy in the process.

"The women won the banner as well, and in the novice Western won the banner too, so to take home the sweep in all three banners of the weekend is just huge," McLelland said.

Nolte insisted that each of his rowers be praised equally for the weekend's triumph, though he acknowledged standout Tim Colson's second straight gold medal in the heavyweight single.

"Every athlete won a medal - there was not one individual boat that didn't take a medal," Nolte said. "The singles always stand out because they're rowing alone, and Tim Colson came through against a former national team athlete. He showed his outstanding experience and probably had the best race he's ever had. But again, he alone cannot [win the OUA championship], and that's the beauty of rowing."

The women's story was scripted similarly on Saturday. The heavyweight rowers, who had not lost a single event all year heading into the weekend, continued their utter dominance, taking gold in the single, double, four, and eight.

Also contributing to Western's decisive win were the lightweight rowers, who weren't expected to dominate like their heavyweight teammates but nevertheless captured bronze medals in the single, four and eight.

"They worked hard all year; they really came out [on Saturday] and had a great performance," team member Lindsay Forget said. "It was great for them to step up and show the rest of the province what they can do."

"The heavyweights were expected, based on their season performance, to win all four of their events," head coach Al Morrow said. "But really what tipped the balance was the lightweights more than holding their own."

Veteran rower Jane Rumball, who hasn't lost a university race in over two years, had a memorable day, winning gold in the heavyweight single and double.

Morrow explained Rumball was expected to lead the way for the 'Stangs, as she is arguably the team's top rower.

"If there's an event in rowing that isn't team-oriented, it's the single, and you can set someone out because of that," Morrow said. [The single rower is] usually the best person in your program if [she] goes in the single."

Next up, Western's rowers head to Victoria to compete in the Canadian University Rowing Championships. Expectations on the men's side are both optimistic and realistic.

"I really believe that we have good chances in the men's eight, the lightweight four, and the lightweight and heavyweight single, and we are really going full blast in these boat classes. There is an outside chance to do [extremely well], I really hope that we get into the medals overall. We didn't do that the last four years, so that is our goal."

"At [the nationals] there's a men's banner, a women's banner, and an overall men's and women's combined," McLelland said. "Not only are we looking good on the men's side, but in combination with the women we could win the overall national title, which would be just incredible."

Morrow and the women's team enter the nationals with their eyes on a couple of formidable opponents.

"Once you're going to the nationals you're coming up with the traditional powerhouses at the Canadian women's level, which are Victoria University and the University of British Columbia," Morrow said. "Over the years they've come first and second in points, and have won most of the individual titles. So it's just a much tougher playing field. I would think that we're a long shot.

"With a peak performance in all events, we could win the team trophy, which would be a first, and quite an achievement. Everyone will have to come up with outstanding performances, but we're definitely in the hunt for the team title with the quality of athletes we're sending."

The nationals, which aren't an official Canadian Interuniversity Sport event, have some rule differences that will render some rowers ineligible and force the 'Stangs to alter their boat combinations.

Forget, however, remained confident in her team's chances for success.

"The West has been so dominant, and this is the year we want to prove that we're a tough competitor and bring back some medals."

Author:Gazette Staff

Men's rugby team routs Queen's, advances to final

QUEEN'S SUCKS. The men's rugby team - shown in action here earlier this season - laid a 34-0 whuppin' on the Golden Gaels in Sunday's OUA semi-final.

"There's only one speed, and that's full speed."

According to team captain Kevin Feheley, that is the motto of the Mustangs men's rugby team every game. It didn't hurt the 'Stangs on Sunday, as they ran over the Queen's Golden Gaels 34-0. The victory puts the men in position to win the Ontario University Athletics final this weekend.

Sunday's game started slowly with a lot of midfield play, including many turnovers. However, Mustangs kicker Sam Jenkins put a nice kick down the middle on a penalty goal to put the Mustangs on the board.

The men in purple kept it going after that, scoring when Sean-Michael Stephen stole the ball on a line-out and rushed it downfield, with Pat Bakker scoring the try.

The Mustangs were only up 10-0 after a seemingly close first half. However, Feheley noted his teammates weren't too concerned.

"We were playing into the wind and sun in the first half, so we knew it would get easier," he said. He was right, as things got worse for Queen's in the second half.

The Golden Gaels got into trouble in their own end. They tried to make two kicks up the field, but both were blocked by Western. Scrum half Andy Tyler dodged a sprinting Queen's player and launched a long kick that went out near the Queen's line. Western converted on this chance with John Church scoring off a Western drive down the middle.

Queen's started taking things seriously. A particularly beefy Queen's player took off his shirt, trying to intimidate the Mustangs; however, it was no use. Sam Jenkins took the ball in for the Mustangs' third try of the game off a timely passing play. After another penalty goal by Jenkins, the score was 27-0. The game finished 34-0, as Feheley took in the final try off a pass from the ruck.

The Golden Gaels had a few good rushes during the match, but Western held the line well on its side of half, keeping Queen's scoreless.

Many Western fans came out to support the home team. A heckler frequently reminded any Queen's player with the ball of impending danger with the warning "you're gonna get hit hard, buddy!" A trombone player made sure there was always a motivational tune between plays.

This Saturday, at 2:15 pm, the Mustangs take on the McMaster Marauders for the OUA title at Toronto's Fletcher's Field. Western was handed its only loss of the season back in late September when McMaster won 34-12.

Mustangs head coach Scott Stewart is confident his team is ready for the final.

"Today we were patient and determined, keeping control of the ball, with two or three guys supporting the ball on each play. We have a lot of new guys on the team, but now everyone is settled into positions and we've improved a lot since the start of the season," Stewart said. He says his team is excited for the opportunity to face McMaster again.

McMaster defeated the Brock Badgers in the other semi-final game by a score of 52-7, and the provincial final promises to be a thriller. The McMaster camp is preparing in every way possible for the upcoming final. Camera-toting scouts from McMaster attended the Mustangs' semi-final game to see if they could pick out anything interesting from Western's play.

Western is the defending OUA champion in men's rugby. Since men's rugby isn't recognized under Canadian Interuniversity Sport, this Saturday in Toronto will be Western's final challenge of the season as it goes for gold.

Author:Gazette Staff

Back in '80, men's ruggers lose five-overtime title game

By Maureen Breen
Gazette staff
As The Gazette approaches its 100th year of publication, we will be reprinting some notable stories we've published in the last century. Some show how much Western has changed since 1906, while others show how some things never change.

This story comes from Nov. 11, 1980. Not unlike the 2005 version, the men's rugby team squared off for the provincial championship. Though this year's outcome has yet to be determined, 25 years ago the 'Stangs dropped a five overtime heartbreaker to the Toronto Varsity Blues. The moral of the story is that today, the Blues suck.

In definitely the longest, and perhaps one of the most exciting rugby finals in recent years, the Western varsity rugby team narrowly lost the OUAA championship game 18-15 to the Toronto Varsity Blues last Saturday.

Going into Saturday's game, Western had an unbeaten 8-0-0 record, and had delivered the Varsity Blues their only defeat of the season Oct. 18. In that game, Western won by a single point and Saturday's game could not have been closer.

At the end of regular time, the score was tied 15-15, and in accordance wiith OUAA rules, two 10-minute periods of overtime were played with no score.

Therefore, sudden-death overtime was instituted with breaks every 10 minutes. After three periods of sudden-death overtime, and five periods of overtime in total, the Varsity Blues' standoff converted a drop goal to give his team the narrowest of victories.

In the first 15 minutes of the game, Western kept the Varsity Blues pinned in their own half but they were unable to capitalize on this pressurre with a try or even a penalty conversion.

Gradually, Toronto switched momentum in their favour, and took the lead with a breakaway try.

Western was continually pinned in its own half but Toronto, too, was unable to capitalize on persistent pressure.

Western was fortunate to only have three more points scored against them during this period and the Varsity Blues took a 9-0 lead. Before the end of the half, Scott Porter scored a penalty conversion to keep Western alive.

Following a first half in which club president Doug Irwin described Western's play as "stupid rugby," Western decided at the half to kick the ball more in order to gain maximum advantage of the sun being in Toronto's face. This tactic seemed to work as Western began to get back into the game and with another penalty conversion Western pulled to within three points of trying the game up.

Toronto, however, came straight back and seemed to have put the game away with a try to make the score 15-6. The Mustangs showed their character by once again clawing their way back into the game and when Scott Porter scored his fifth penalty conversion of the game with five minutes of normal time left, the score was tied at 15-15.

Western had completely turned the game around and took the momentum in the first period of extra time.

Extra time consisted of five 10-minute periods, nearly a whole extra game. Both sides had chances to win with both teams pressuring at times. Western's chances came more on the ground whereas Toronto relied more on their stand off who had three attempts at winning the game with one penalty conversion attempt and two drop goal attempts, all failed.

The end of the game, when it came, came suddenly, with the Blues stand off finally kicking the drop goal from 25 yards out.